Astrological Musings

December 2008 Archives

Wednesday December 31, 2008

Categories: Astrology, Politics

Obama and the Void of Course Moon (again!)

by Lynn Hayes

It appears that Obama, who announced his candidacy when the Moon was void of course (which has been a topic of much discussion in the comments here at this site and elsewhere) is poised to take the oath of office under a void Moon as well.  The Moon is said to be void of course when it has completed aspecting other planets and is on its way to the next zodiacal sign.  Some astrologers (me, for instance) do not put much stock in the effects of the void moon.  For others, it's a sure sign that Obama will drive the country into a disaster.  (Fortunately, the Moon was not void at the time of Obama's nomination.)

Shelley Ackerman is begging the President-Elect, "PLEASE put off the Oath of Office until 12:30 pm when the Moon goes direct."  (Thanks Elsa for the link.)

Astrologers all over the Internet have been chatting and posting for months about the alignment of the planets at 12 noon on January 20, 2009. Many, myself included (I've been writing about this long before Obama secured the Democratic nomination) strongly feel that delaying the oath for 30 minutes is a very good idea. 

Why not wait a half hour, and let the Moon align in a more favorable spot? PLEASE humor the astrologers who care so much about the success of your presidency, Mr. President-Elect, and let the bugles play, the poets read, the dancers dance, the clerics pray and have Aretha sing an encore, but stall in any way you can and say "I do" at 12:30 pm. The Moon will be exalted in Sagittarius in a nice aspect to lucky Jupiter on the Midheaven. We cannot eliminate the annoying Venus-approaching Uranus opposite Saturn aspect, meaning that 2010 looks a little dicey, but the better placement of the Moon should help considerably. 
 
I have to say that I think putting a halo behind Obama's head in the photo that accompanies this article is a bit much, even for me. My concern about all of this hoopla over the void of course Moon is that while people are learning more about astrology, which I think is a wonderful thing, many people are allowing astrology to scare them into a paralyzing fear.  "I can't start this job, because Mercury is Retrograde."  "I'm terrified of what will happen when Pluto squares my Moon."  To me, understanding the astrological cycles is the key to calming our fears - it gives us a framework to explain the challenges that we face, and provides a map to navigate the stormy waters.  

In any case, I'm going to repeat what I've said before - The concept of the void Moon comes from ancient electional techniques which rely on aspects from the Moon as the fastest-moving planetary body.  When the Moon did not make an aspect, it was thought that there was somewhat of a limbo period where nothing was likely to change.  

If we have a choice, it is better to take the planetary configurations into consideration when timing an event.  But sometimes these things are not under our control, and then we must forge forward without fear, knowing that the planets "impel, but do not compel."

Tuesday December 30, 2008

Categories: Financial markets

Financial astrology in the news and a look at the Renaissance.

by Lynn Hayes

I guess Wall Street is realizing their so-called financial experts know very little about the ups and downs of our financial system, and astrology is actually gaining more respect in the business world.  It's about time!

According to the WSJ Market Watch site, Arch Crawford's newsletter was the top performer in 2008, up by 42%!  Market Watch quotes Mr. Crawford from his December newsletter: "We are looking for some further advancement this week, followed by a decline into the Full Moon square Saturn on Dec. 12, probably marking a pull-back low Dec. 12-17. This pullback is likely to form a Right Shoulder on a potential Reverse Head-and-Shoulder bottom formation. From there, an explosive year-end move could develop in the upward direction, which we expect to be very profitable. Rally should rise well into January."

I have no idea what a Right Shoulder is, but the Dow did go up between the 1st and the 8th and did decline leading into the Full Moon on the 12th. We haven't seen that explosive year-end move, and with Saturn turning retrograde on the 31st it's hard to imagine that we'll see a rise in investor confidence.

Our favorite Ray Merriman also made the news this week (thanks to David Crook for the link!):

 
Raymond A. Merriman, a professional market analyst, trader and business astrologer based in Farmington Hills, sees the economy teetering between Camelot and Armageddon in 2009.

"Jupiter is moving into Aquarius, favoring automobiles and technology," said Merriman, former commodities broker and investment executive who owns an international consulting company, The Merriman Market Analyst, Inc.

As a researcher of geocosmic conditions and planetary cycles, he predicted a year ago the steep swings in gas and oil prices and suggests prices will raise $20 or $30 a barrel, but never to the heights reached this summer. He suggested the oil crisis precipitated the meltdown on Wall Street Sept. 15, a day of a full moon involving Saturn and Uranus, when hope gave way to fear.

What happened? According to Merriman, Saturn and Uranus entered an orb of influence with one another. Saturn rules control, boundaries and tradition, and this collided with Uranus, a breakdown in status quo. When these planets align with Pluto, an economic disaster on the scale of the Great Depression is possible, he says. But it is just as possible that a great surge in creativity could occur, as these planets also aligned in the 15th century Renaissance.

Optimism may have financial and astrological benefits.

"If we believe in Barack Obama's audacity of hope, we ride the wave of hope with Jupiter and Neptune, a 14-year cycle which comes together for much of 2009," Merriman said, harkening the Camelot promise. He compares the president-elect to former Chrysler Chairman Lee Iacocca who powered the automaker's revival in the early 1980s with charisma and strong leadership.

Possibilities abound, especially in environmentally friendly businesses.

Interesting point about the Saturn, Uranus and Pluto combination having occurred during the Renaissance. I found that in 1566 Saturn in Virgo opposed Pluto in Pisces and these two planets were squared by Uranus in Sagittarius.  I would argue that this T-square in mutable signs which are more likely to adapt to each other is less stressful than the upcoming T-square in cardinal signs which tend to promote more crisis (and consequently, greater evolution).  I also feel that Pluto in Pisces would be more likely to stimulate creativity than Pluto in Capricorn.  Still, there's no point in accelerating the pessimism driving the markets downward - optimism creates positive experiences, so why not look up instead of down!!

Monday December 29, 2008

Categories: Astrology

The Solstice Chart and its meaning for the US

Robert P. Blaschke has written an elegant piece for The Mountain Astrologer website on the chart for the Capricorn Ingress.  The Capricorn Ingress is the Wnter Solstice in the tropical zodiac that occurs when the Sun enters Capricorn and begins a new year.  Robert writes, 

Upon viewing the overwhelming preponderance of planets in the first quadrant, one immediately perceives that 2009 will become a year of survival for the United States. As the only Winter Ingress horoscope in American history to have an exact Sun-Pluto conjunction on the Cardinal Point, the depth and extent to which the United States will have to change during the next year is at the present time unfathomable to all but the astrologers who have the techniques and methods to make such a forecast.

This tremendous change to be seen in the US is also reflected, as I've written before, in the transiting square of Pluto to the Midheaven in the chart for the United States.  Pluto represents the power for change and transformation, and the Midheaven in a national chart represents the government and leadership of that nation.  Pluto often begins with a breakdown phase, and we are certainly seeing that phase now.  But if we navigate the breakdown phase successfully, there is a regeneration phase on the other side that brings transformation and regeneration that in the end will make it all worthwhile.  When a system is broken, there is sometimes no way to fix it but to begin anew!

Monday December 29, 2008

Categories: Politics

Israel, Palestine, and the Scapegoat Theory

Israel is continuing its attacks in the Gaza strip for the third day today, striking at a security  israel-palestinians.jpgcompound, a mosque, a university, and a network of smugglers' tunnels, Israel was apparently reacting to rocket strikes by Hamas forces, but the cycle of violence is all too familiar.  Israel reacts with overwhelming force, attempting to squelch the power of the Palestinian military capabilities and restrict the freedom of the Palestinian people to move about the territory.  The Palestinian military wing, Hamas in the current situation, reacts with calls for more suicide attacks on civilians in Israel.  Israel says there will be no peace talks until attacks by Hamas end, and Israel continues to expand its settlements into Palestinian territories.  Meanwhile, rage against Israel and the West in the surrounding Arab nations continues to grow.

Whatever side of this argument you are on, there is no denying that neither side wants peace.  They are locked in a battle that has no end - a battle where the lines are blurred between victim and perpetrator.

I'm just finishing an interesting book by Liz Greene entitled Dark of the Soul: Psychopathology in the Horoscope  There is a chapter on the scapegoat pattern as a psychological complex.  In the story of the scapegoat, the ancient Hebrews sent a goat, designated as the carrier of the sins of the collective, into the wilderness to perish and thereby save the collective from punishment.  The story of the Christ as the sacrificial lamb who perished for the sins of the collective perhaps comes from the original scapegoat tale.  In any case, the scapegoat dynamic depends on the presence of both a victim and the one who represents the collective establishment and inflicts the punishment.  Ms. Greene calls that individual the perpetrator.

So with the scapegoat dynamic we have both a perpetrator and a victim, and that dynamic becomes internalized within the individual.  Some people suffer terrible abuse and never go on to abuse others, but for some the cycle of victim/perpetrator becomes internalized and the one who is abused becomes the perpetrator him/herself.   

I see this quite plainly in the Israeli/Palestinian situation.  The modern nation of Israel was established to rescue the victims of the Holocaust, but in order to establish the nation, the fledgling Israeli nation had to fight with the local Arabs in order to expand Israeli territory.  Now the victim (Israel) becomes the perpetrator.  The Palestinians become the victims, not only of Israeli expansion but also in the refusal of neighboring Arab nations to permit them to enter these countries as refugees.  At first, Palestinian violence against Israel was mainly intended to help Palestinians return to their homes, but later as the collective rage against Israel grew, this violence became more generalized.  Now the Palestinians are also the perpetrators.  At the same time, Israel is portrayed as a victim against the aggression of Lebanon and Iran.  So both the Israelis and Palestinians are locked in a cycle of victim/perpetrator that has no end.

Just as the scapegoat for the ancient Hebrews served the purpose of expiating the sins of the collective, the scapegoat psychological complex serves a purpose in a family or a greater collective.  Many dysfunctional families contain a scapegoat such as the black sheep, or the bad child, who carries the "sins" of the family so that the rest of the members can feel that they are the ones who are ok.  Psychologists who work with troubled families report that when the "bad kid" is removed from the family and put in a hospital or reform school, another child in the family "goes bad."  There must be a goat to carry the sins of the collective, otherwise the collective must face those sins directly and resolve them.

It occurs to me that the unending cycle of violence between the Israelis and the Palestinians provides a scapegoat not only for the nations in the Middle East but for he entire Western world.  The astrology of Israel and Palestine, being virtually identical, ensures that the challenging astrological patterns in each chart is forever locked into the other (see my article for more information on the astrological dynamics of this conflict). 

The only way to resolve any destructive psychological pattern is for the individual to recognize that the pattern exists and work with the internal dynamic in a conscious way.  In this situation, both Israel and the Palestinians would have to recognize that they have stepped beyond the role of victim to the role of perpetrator, and work to resolve the cycle internally.  They cannot rely on the world around them that in a subconscious way depends on the scapegoat to carry out the violence for the collective.
 
With Pluto in Capricorn, perhaps some of this can be brought to light.  The symbol for Capricorn, after all, is the goat.

Saturday December 27, 2008

Categories: Astrology

New Moon and Planetary Lineup

fractal.jpgby Lynn Hayes

The New Moon today (December 27)  is part of a powerful line up of six planets in the sign of Capricorn, focusing on work and responsibility.  This includes the approaching conjunction of Mars to Pluto, the Sun/Moon conjunction which comprises the New Moon, with Jupiter and Mercury rounding out the stellium, as we call a grouping of planets in a sign.  


Venus conjuncts Neptune on the 27th which aligns love for the individual (Venus) with the compassionate love of divine consciousness (Neptune), helping to set the stage for the New Moon in Capricorn. Capricorn is the sign of achievement and a successful life with both feet firmly planted in the material world. This will be an interesting Capricorn New Moon, occurring at a time when the material world is breaking down around us. It's important to see now that as some aspects of our world break down (under the influence of Pluto in Capricorn), sprigs of new life are taking form - new life forms that will be better suited for the age in which we are living now. We see this with the Big Three automobile manufacturers in the US, which have become tied to an old model of doing business and protectionist thought that has broken down under the influence of globalization.

In this New Moon, Mars has just entered Capricorn and is exactly conjunct Pluto. The combination of Mars and Pluto links the will of the individual self (Mars) to the will of the higher self (Pluto). If the individual will is aligned with the greater Consciousness, this is a powerful planetary dynamic for change and positive growth. If the individual will is resisting the will for complete transformation that Pluto brings to the table, this can be extremely difficult. Six planets/lights are now in Capricorn: Mars, Pluto, Sun and Moon, and the approaching conjunction of Mercury and Jupiter, so practicality and Doing What Must Be Done (a Capricorn theme) is highlighted here.

For those of us who have planets near the zero degree of the Cardinal signs (Aries, Libra, Capricorn and Cancer), like me, with my Mars at zero degrees Capricorn, the last few days along with the next few days will apply an intense pressure for change.  Rather like the pressure that a diamond undergoes when being transformed from a lump of coal, this intense Capricorn focus that includes the fire of Mars aligned with the power of Pluto is designed to distill only what is most practical, most real, and most durable from our lives.  

The New Moon provides energy for change, and this is really a terrific influence to have manifesting at the end of the year when we are reading to slough off the dead energy of the past and begin anew with the New Year.  Surrender to what is no longer needed, and begin creating the future.  Over the next couple of months the planets now lined up in Capricorn will shift into Aquarius, and Jupiter (abundance and opportunity) will conjoin Neptune (mysticism and creativity) between May and December, giving new ideas an opportunity to flower and take root.  

Update: I really liked what Joseph had to say in the comments so I'll add that here:

One part of this magic I find fascinating is the Saturn - Uranus opposition now occurring. Saturn rules Capricorn and Uranus rules Aquarius. As sign rulers, this dynamic tension will hold great sway over anything moving through their ruling sign. That so many aspects are affected at the same time by these filters bears important significance in the days ahead. Pluto/Mars sure has made its presence known as we unfortunately see renewed violence in the Middle East and Africa, and horrific acts here in the United States on Christmas Eve/Day. Obama has his Venus at 1 degree Cancer. He has been chaffing recently at the tight press bubble around him. No matter where he goes the press pool follows. Pluto's "authority" in Capricorn is making that Cancer Venus very uncomfortable. And he's not even sworn in yet. Will be interesting to see how he is able to rebalance this energy.

I'd also like to add that Pluto is about to make the second pass of a square to the Midheaven in the US chart.  The fact that Obama's Venus is square to the Libra Midheaven in the US chart, and both are being challenged by Pluto right now, speaks to the transformative effect that Obama is having to the US Government as identified by the Midheaven in the national chart. 

Is anyone else having an intense experience this week?  

Wednesday December 24, 2008

Categories: Astrology

One more Christmas Star story!

I've been reprinting this every year because it's so fabulous.  Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanzaa and have a Cool Yule.John Charles Webb Jr. left a comment with a link to his site which postulates that the "star" of Bethlehem was not...

Tuesday December 23, 2008

The origins of Christmas

Rob Tillett at Astrology.com has a wonderful article about the origins of the Christmas holiday.  Here is a portion of the article:In the New Testament, the holy book of the Christians, there is no actual mention of the date of...

Monday December 22, 2008

Categories: Celebrities, Politics

Caroline Kennedy's journey of healing

This is not an evaluation of Ms. Kennedy's qualifications for the New York senator seat, but a look at what motivates a private person to seek a very public office.  by Lynn HayesCaroline Bouvier Kennedy has led a life that...

Saturday December 20, 2008

Categories: Inspiration

Trust the Planets! Update.

by Lynn Hayes photo taken by Eric Nguyen. Back in early 2007 I did a reading for a woman whose husband of many years had just left her.  She called me because she wanted some help in figuring out...

Friday December 19, 2008

Categories: Celebrities

Jeremy Piven, Mercury Poisoning, and the Saturn Effect

by Lynn HayesJeremy Piven has left the Broadway production of Speed the Plow after being diagnosed with mercury poisoning.  Piven, who apparently eats lots of sushi and eats some kind of fish twice a day, sought medical treatment for exhaustion and...

Thursday December 18, 2008

Categories: Politics

Obama's preacher situation and Inauguration Day transits

President-Elect Barack Obama has taken the concept of reaching across the aisle to a new level in his choice of Evangelist Rick Warren to deliver the opening invocation at the inaugural ceremony on January 20.  Rick Warren, author of "The...

Wednesday December 17, 2008

Categories: Financial markets

The Fed still doesn't get it

by Lynn HayesThe current economic downturn is caused by a global contraction and correction.  From an astrological perspective, this correlates closely to the entry of Pluto into Capricorn which demands facts and a strong foundation in order to achieve economic growth....

Tuesday December 16, 2008

Categories: Inspiration

Inspiration for times of change

From Beth Owl's Daughter's newsletter this month:[T]ere is a lovely interpretation of the 59th hexagram of the I Ching, Huan or Dissolution, which I think illuminates the lessons we've been experiencing in this Wheel of Fortune year:"Crisis means opportunity, but...

Monday December 15, 2008

Categories: Ecology

The battle against time

Interesting article on a new book called Rhythms of Life: The Biological Clocks that Control the Daily Lives of Every Living Thing: Man has invented many ways to measure physical time, from ancient sundials to water and sand clocks, from...

Sunday December 14, 2008

Categories: Astrology

Pluto: "The Seeds of What Could Be"

Robert Wilkinson has a great article about Pluto in Capricorn today.  I particularly love this section:Pluto is how we confront the seeds of what is and could be, and learn the willingness to do what it takes to get to...

Sunday December 14, 2008

Categories: Astronomy, Mysteries

The Tale of the Antikythera Mechanism

by Lynn HayesA new video shows a reconstruction of the Antikythera Mechanism by museum curator Michael Wright:  This is an extremely sophisticated device using a 19-year lunar cycle, which corresponds to the 19-year cycle of the lunar nodes.  New Scientist...

Friday December 12, 2008

Categories: Astrology

The Christmas Star

by Lynn HayesEvery year at about this time we start pondering the mystery of the Star of Bethlehem.  There are lots of different explanations that I'll be covering over the next couple of weeks.  Here is an interesting article that appeared...

Wednesday December 10, 2008

Categories: Astrology, Astronomy

Big Full Moon on Friday. I mean, really big!

by Lynn HayesAccording to NASA:The full Moon of Dec. 12th is the biggest and brightest full Moon of the year.It's no illusion. Some full Moons are genuinely larger than others and this Friday's is a whopper. Why? The Moon's orbit...

Tuesday December 9, 2008

Categories: Celebrities, Politics

Rod Blagojevich - The astrology of hubris

by Lynn HayesYou may have heard that the governor of Illinois was arrested today for trying to sell the Senate seat left open by the ascendancy of Barack Obama to the highest bidder.  What was this guy thinking?  Evidently he...

Monday December 8, 2008

Categories: Financial markets

Saving the economy: Capricorn vs. Sagittarius

As most of you know who read this blog regularly, Pluto has just transitioned from the optimism sign of Sagittarius to the practical sign of Capricorn.  Since Pluto presides over issues of death and endings we have seen some real...

Sunday December 7, 2008

Categories: Astrology, Politics

Astrologers are like Gays

by Lynn HayesChris Brennan had an article on his Horoscopic Astrology blog about a speech from astrologer Lee Lehman in which Lee drew many parallels between the discrimination faced by astrologers and gay individuals, quoting Lee: "One of the major...

Saturday December 6, 2008

Categories: Inspiration

Happiness is contagious! Spread it around

I have long believed, and now teach, that happiness and joy are habits that can be learned.  Depression often runs in families, but it is my belief that this is because of belief systems and habits of reaction that are...

Friday December 5, 2008

Carol of the Bells in Claymation

This has nothing to do with astrology, but I had to share this.  Many of you know that I've been studying the hammered dulcimer, and I just started learning Carol of the Bells, my favorite Midwinter tune and possibly the...

Thursday December 4, 2008

Categories: Literature

Narnia Chronicles based on astrology!

by Lynn Hayes I fell in love with The Chronicles of Narnia while I was in college - the spirituality and hope that they offer interweave with the fantastic realms through which the Narnia Chronicles take the reader.  They are really...

Wednesday December 3, 2008

Categories: Politics

Bill Herbst and the Leo presidency

by Lynn Hayes Bill Herbst's newsletter has a very interesting article today about the fact that the last three presidents have had a strong Leo component.  Bill Clinton is Leo Sun/Libra rising, George W Bush is Cancer Sun/Leo rising, and...

Tuesday December 2, 2008

Categories: Future Shock

Transhumanism and The Age of Aquarius

Chiron is in Aquarius, Neptune is in Aquarius with Uranus, ruler of Aquarius, in Pisces, ruler of Neptune, and we are at the dawn of the Aquarian Age.  Aquarius is the innovator - the transpersonal human.  Transhumanists seek the ultimate...

Tuesday December 2, 2008

Categories: Astrology

Venus, Jupiter and the Birth of Jesus

by Lynn HayesI thought this comment from Beth might be interesting to everyone:A visitor to my blog today had a question about this configuration that I hope you can respond to, Lynn. He lives in Israel and was commenting on...

Monday December 1, 2008

Categories: Astrology

Skywatch for December is posted

Skywatch, my monthly report on planetary news is posted now on my website.  There's lots going on this month so be sure to stay tuned right here for up-to-the-minute news on planetary effects and how they effect our inner and...

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About Astrological Musings

Lynn Hayes has been a practising astrological consultant in beautiful North Carolina for over 25 years, working with clients all over the world both in person and by phone. She focuses on therapeutic and healing approaches which encourage greater empowerment and personal growth. Visit www.astrodynamics.net for more information.

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